What does everyone eat to earn back exercise calories?

jemrie
jemrie Posts: 25
in Health and Weight Loss
I am loving the cardio and hiking and finding myself pushing myself and pushing myself more so I sometimes have a pretty decent calorie deficit that I need to eat back. What does everyone eat to keep out of starvation mode. I try to eat somewhat healthy but is ice cream ok in this instance?

Replies

  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Ice cream once in awhile is a great option! Heck, some people figure out how to have it everyday.

    Personally, I manage to fit in chocolate pretty much everyday. Yesterday, I had chocolate chips in my Yonanas, so it was practically chocolate and ice cream :)

    If you are eating back all of your calories every day, you may want to get a fitbit, heartrate monitor or other gadget to give you a more accurate estimate of your calories burned than MFP. I am always under a few days a week, so that makes up for any discrepancies.
  • jemrie
    jemrie Posts: 25
    I have been way under as well, but have been half suspicious that I may overestimating calories burnt and underestimating calories eaten. So I don't worry to much if I am way under on one day. Especially because it seems like there is likely going to be one day I am over, rest day I'm talking to you. I think 200 calories more deficit than what mvp says might be ok. I am losing though, in eight days I have lost an inch around thighs, waist and belly! and 2.5 pounds.
  • RunFarLiveHappy
    RunFarLiveHappy Posts: 805 Member
    I definitely recommend a HRM for a more accurate count. I've found MFP to vary quite a bit vs. my PolarUSA HRM. I really really try to eat because I'm hungry and not because of my calorie count. Since I have an established workout schedule I know which days I will have the biggest deficits and therefore try to plan my meals accordingly. For instance today I will burn at least 1000 calories or more during my 2 hour workout tonight. If I didn't plan for that there would be no way I could come close to 2200 calories (the recommended minimum 1200 calories + the 1000 I burned). Since I know this I try to have more calorie dense foods like bananas, peanut butter, quinoa, etc. I also use protein powder, protein shakes & protein bars as supplements. You can find great lists online if you search things like "healthy calorie dense foods" or similar. Ice cream and chocolate are always okay in my book (in moderation). I know sometimes I won't always net 1200 or more calories, but I do try to plan ahead so I don't feel obligated to eat a huge supper or late night snack and therefore might not make the best choices. It's a balance. It's also good for your body to net different calorie totals from day to day. I like to focus on my weekly totals vs. daily. Hope that helped!
  • olDave
    olDave Posts: 557 Member
    I eat everything I like.
  • jessynicolee
    jessynicolee Posts: 1
    Fruit !
  • eagertoloseweight1
    eagertoloseweight1 Posts: 31
    I want to lose weight fast, and get a flat stomach and abs, how do I do that? Also, what are weight loss foods?
  • RunFarLiveHappy
    RunFarLiveHappy Posts: 805 Member
    Oh also there's a pretty cool video on YouTube that shows how inaccurate using measuring cups or spoons are versus using a food scale. If you don't use a food scale I would say they're worth 100x their $15 price tag in this journey. A great investment!
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    I figure out my TDEE so that I dont' have to worry about it.

    But, honestly after a few weeks you should see a common trend of how many calories you burn and should be able to incorporate that into your day so that it is alrady planned in.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Add me as one that says you should invest in a HRM...

    Also, I'd personally tone it down on the cardio and set some fitness goals outside of calorie burn; this will help you train better and get the most benefit from your exercises. If you're not doing so, you should incorporate some resistance training into your routine. Calorie deficit + tons of cardio = a lot of fat and muscle lost. Resistance training is the only way to preserve muscle while you are dieting. The loss of muscle is why a lot of people reach their goal weight, but have a higher relative BF% than they should at that weight.

    Barring that, if you train like an athlete and burn thousands of calories, you need to eat like an athlete.
  • breezylou2
    breezylou2 Posts: 61 Member
    IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) eat it. I eat ice cream all the time. An ice cream sandwich only has 160 calories. TECHNICALLY you could eat an all junk food diet and lose weight as long as you stay within your calorie range. I do not recommend that anyone does this, but with that in mind, I think you can make your own decision about ice cream.
  • supermodelchic
    supermodelchic Posts: 550 Member
    I do not eat back calories, I burned them off, want to keep them off!
  • jemrie
    jemrie Posts: 25
    I really do want a HRM so I think that will be on the list, I know I need to add some resistance training in as well, I am currently working on incorporating some at home. I do love that cardio though.
  • endlesswonderr
    endlesswonderr Posts: 91 Member
    If i have extra calories i will usually treat myself to a bowl or two of popcorn or a delicious baked apple. :) they make the best night time snacks. I'll also snack on almonds or walnuts sometimes assuming I'm not that hungry.

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